1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for an attachment system for configured slots.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Representative prior art patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,015,897; 3,189,187; 3,338,602; 3,574,367; 4,101,231; 4,207,014; 4,360,286; 4,549,832; 4,572,694; 4,725,030; 4,907,388; 5,657,604; European Patent No. 0,336,915; French Patent Nos. 2,129,259; 2,298,721; 2,659,702; Dutch Patent No. 8,901,425; and Norwegian Patent No. 96,260.
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide an attachment system for configured slots and, more particularly, to provide an attachment system for readily connecting a configured rectangular tube or other object to a suitably-shaped configured slot, such as in a configured tube which can be a configured round tube, a configured rectangular tube or any other appropriately configured geometrical tube structure or other structure having a suitably-shaped configured slot.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an attachment system including a jaw assembly the majority of which is accommodatingly engaged within one end of a configured rectangular tube or other geometrically configured structure. The jaw assembly includes opposing major and minor jaws aligned in close pivotal juxtaposition. The major jaw includes an inwardly-facing pivot bar which aligns to and which engages an inwardly-facing pivot receptor groove in the minor jaw. Outwardly-facing retainer grooves are located at one end of both the major and minor jaws for engagement with a suitably-shaped configured slot in a configured tube. At the ends of the major and minor jaws opposing the retainer grooves is a provision for the retention of a resilient plastic pin in either of two pre-determined locations. One such location biases the ends of the major and minor jaws (having the retainer grooves) to the open or spread position, and the other location biases the ends of the major and minor jaws to the closed position. Substantially, the entire jaw assembly with the exception of the retainer grooves is housed in one end of the configured rectangular tube and is secured therein by an actuator cap screw. The actuator cap screw extends through the configured rectangular tube to threadingly engage the major jaw. The actuator cap screw also extends beyond the major jaw to forcefully contact the minor jaw whereby the minor and major jaws are forcefully caused to spread apart, thereby causing frictional engagement of the retainer grooves with a geometrical tube structure having a suitably-shaped configured slot. Additionally, the actuator cap screw also forces planar and other surfaces of the major and minor jaws into intimate and aligned stabilizing forced contact with interior surfaces of the suitably-shaped configured rectangular tube.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is an attachment system for configured slots for connecting a configured rectangular tube to a suitably-shaped configured slot by the use of a connecting jaw assembly.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a jaw assembly having pivotally opposing major and minor jaws where each jaw includes an outwardly-facing retainer groove.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is the use of a resilient plastic pin placed in either of two positions at one end of pivotally opposing major and minor jaws to bias the jaws to either the closed or to the open position for subsequent acceptance and accommodation by a configured rectangular tube.
Yet another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is major and minor jaws biased to the open position which can provide for initial snapping engagement with a suitably-shaped configured slot.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is an actuator cap screw which secures a jaw assembly to a configured rectangular tube.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is an actuator cap screw which actuates the major and minor jaws of a jaw assembly for forced frictional engagement with the receptor cavity of a configured rectangular tube.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is an actuator cap screw which forces planar and other surfaces of the major and minor jaws into intimate and stabilized forced contact with interior surfaces of a configured rectangular tube to provide for a stabilized relationship between a configured rectangular tube and an object having configured slots herein exemplified as a configured tube.
Having thus described one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an attachment system for configured slots.